When depressed, travel. When lonely, travel. When you miss playing in a major sporting event, travel -- to rejuvenate yourself and start afresh. Swiss tennis superstar Roger Federer has been doing exactly that. The 35-year-old legend, who will not be seen on the tennis court again this calendar year, owing to a knee injury, that saw him miss the Rio 2016 Olympics and the US Open, has decided to take the path of travel.
He is currently touring the Swiss mountains during the injury-enforced break.
Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam champion, had missed the French Open earlier this season after undergoing knee surgery, but he came back in time for Wimbledon 2016. The seven-time Wimbledon champ was however knocked out by Milos Raonic in the semifinals.
Making the announcement to take a breather from the game for the remainder of the 2016 season was difficult, but it nevertheless was the need of the hour for Federer. After all, age is steadily catching up and at this stage of his career, risking playing through an injury could lead to a career-ending problem.
Big shots of men's tennis at the moment, Rafael Nadal of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia, have revealed that not getting the chance to compete against Federer doesn't give them any sort of an advantage, but it seems like they miss out on facing themselves against a worthy challenger.
"It's not the same when you don't have Roger for the tournament, for the fans. He's been one of the most popular players of all time, one of the most successful players of all time," said Djokovic recently. "There is no doubt that every tournament is missing him.
"But on the other hand, we have got to focus on the players that we have at the moment. So I think even without him, it's a very strong field. I'm sure it's going to be a good tournament."
Nadal, who knows a thing or two about injuries, wished him a speedy recovery: "Roger today is having the same injury issues, so I wish him a fast recovery," said the Spaniard. "It is very tough to see the players outside of the tour. The fans miss the players, the tour needs the players."
Federer, for now, is taking some time off to travel and explore Switzerland a bit more. A timely break for one of the country's greatest ever sportspersons. Check out these pics by Federer from his vacations.
